Bellatierra Expandida
(América do Sul) A América do Sul vem sendo ignorada por muito tempo; os livros originais de Changeling descrevem todo o continente como um pesadelo Banal onde ninguém jamais esteve. O C20 trouxe alguma luz sobre isso citando algumas nações e um perigo ainda maior. O C20 Livro do Jogador trouxe bastante material, mas a cronologia, lógica e ordem são bem confusas. Ainda assim, tem partes bem interessantes. Este é ponto de partida para este material sobre a Bellatierra. História Já se foi o tempo em que a América do Sul era considerada um vazio, sem civilizações importantes a não ser o Império Inca. Hoje sabemos que, antes do contato com os espanhóis e portugueses, existiam milhões de habitantes no continente, e eles deixaram suas marcas na agricultura e na paisagem do continente, marcas que só hoje estamos começando a entender. Infelizmente assim como na América do Norte os povos do sul foram dizimados pelas doenças muito antes de se depararem com um conquistador ou explorador. Estima-se que 90% da população das américas caiu vítima de doenças, civilizações inteiras foram tragadas pela floresta. Até mesmo os poderosos incas sofreram deste mal: quando os europeus chegaram, os incas estavam em meio a uma guerra civil brutal, depois que alguma doença levou seu imperador. Assim como ocorreu na América do Norte, muitas das fadas da América do Sul pereceram junto com estas civilizações. A Chegada dos Europeus Quando os espanhóis e portugueses chegaram para atacar, os feés estavam com seus números bem reduzidos por causas das doenças que dizimavam os povos da floresta. Ainda assim eles possuíam magias poderosas e seu número apesar de reduzido era ainda maior que o de seus inimigos. As fadas mais sanguinárias e gananciosas chegaram junto com os conquistadores, redcaps e Thallain buscando sangue, sátiros e nockers buscando riquezas. Enfraquecidos como estavam, os feés de Bellatierra uniram suas forças e lutaram contra os invasores em um longo conflito sangrento do início do século XVI até muitas décadas depois dos espanhóis terem concluído suas conquistas. Finalmente, em 1556, depois de uma longa batalha de oito semanas nas terras da Nação do Altiplano, os Thallain aliados dos Kithain estrangeiros traíram sua aliança. Percebendo que não obteriam a vitória eles fugiram. Muitas quimeras os seguiram, deixando os invasores Kithain em desvantagem numérica e muito enfraquecidos. Eles se colocaram à mercê das fadas nativas, e o Tratado da Serra Mãe foi assinado, supervisionado pelo Síocháin das Montanhas, Cuyania. Uma grande barreira foi erguida, e dez guardiões escolhidos para garantir sua proteção, com seus mantos passados através dos tempos. Os guardiões vigiavam as fronteiras, desencorajando aqueles que desejavam cruzá-la. A cada meio século eles se reuniam para decidir se a barreira deveria ser mantida. Entretanto a barreira não era perfeita. Logo chegaram Kithain da Europa e da África, os primeiros como prisioneiros enviados para colônias penais como a Ilha do Diabo, os últimos através do tráfico de escravos. As correntes de ferro usadas como grilhões permitiram que passassem pela barreira. Alguns Kithain africanos vieram de livre vontade para proteger seus parentes, mas a presença de tanto ferro mascarou sua chegada. As fadas nativas se surpreenderam a princípio com estes visitantes, mas logo entenderam como eles estavam conseguindo passar. Alguns mantiveram distância, mantendo um olho sobre estes estranhos, enquanto outros se apiedaram deles, ajudando em sua fuga. Desta forma um grande número de kiths africanos chegou e fez morada no Novo Mundo, incluindo os biloko, exus, djedis, obambos, okubili, eloko, kinyonga, izimu, kozo, mami wata, mino e minona, yumboes e até mesmo alguns raros kuinos. O tráfico de escravos trouxe um fluxo maciço de africanos e entre eles os Kithain; entre 1502 e 1866, mais de 11 milhões de africanos foram enviados para as Américas por meio da escravidão, destes apenas 388 mil chegaram à América do Norte, o restante foram destinados para a América latina e Caribe. O Brasil foi responsável por 40% dos escravos vindos da África enquanto para a América espanhola coube 20%. O tráfico de escravos, e a escravidão, terminaram na América do Sul na metade de 1800; o Brasil teve diversos eventos onde escravos foram libertos (isto era comum na América Latina), mas o tráfico não terminou até 1866, sendo o último país a fazê-lo. Também houve aqueles que chegaram antes da muralha ser erguida; escravos que chegaram à Colômbia em 1533, e no Brasil em 1501, muito antes do primeiro assentamento português ser estabelecido em 1516. Apesar da maioria dos Kithain europeus terem partido, os Kithain africanos foram deixados para trás e, em grande parte, foram acolhidos pelas fadas nativas da Bellatierra. Por causa disso, as Casas Exus de Elegua, Chapungu e Hapi acabaram tendo grande presença na Bellatierra. A Casa Hapi preferiu reunir-se ao redor dos grandes rios, como o Amazonas e o Rio da Prata. A Casa Elegua é errante, podendo ser encontrada com frequência na Colômbia e no Brasil, enquanto muitos da Casa Chapungu são encontrados no Brasil e em nações com grandes florestas, onde possuem uma aliança com os Balam, o povo jaguar. Curiosamente, a Casa Kothar também possui uma representação razoável devido a diáspora libanesa para a América do Sul, que contou com cerca de cinco milhões de imigrantes para o Brasil e um milhão para a Colômbia e Argentina. Um número pequeno de europeus chegou, na sua maioria da França, através da Ilha do Diabo, ao largo da costa da Guiana Francesa. Embora alguns fossem verdadeiros criminosos, muitos eram prisioneiros políticos. Oficialmente diz-se que ninguém nunca escapou da Ilha do Diabo, mas as fadas tinham formas de serem esquecidas pelas Brumas da história. Enquanto isso, as fadas nativas tinham outras coisas com que se preocupar. O crescente número de colonizadores europeus com sua Banalidade e desprezo pelos costumes nativos devoravam o Sonhar. Apesar de muitas se retirarem para as profundezas das montanhas ou florestas, nem todas conseguiram fazer o mesmo. Muitos nativos foram forçados a adotar o catolicismo, o que teve um efeito interessante: misturando-o às suas crenças nativas, eles puderam mantê-las vivas, mas levemente adulteradas. Os espanhóis em particular não foram tão insistentes em disseminar seu idioma, o que na verdade levou a propagação de várias línguas nativas como o quéchua e o guarani pela América do Sul ou a língua nahuatl asteca no México, adicionando a estas línguas nativas alfabetos e textos escritos. As Nações As Três Grandes Nações A Nação das Montanhas A Nação da Amazônia Eware: O Protetorado da Floresta A Nação do Altiplano Outros Territórios O Grande Chaco Os Espelhos d'Água Xaraés A Terra do Perfeito Milagre Reino dos Pampas A Terra Ventos Uivantes A Nação das Nuvens O Portal do Norte A Terra da Liberdade A Nação do Atlântico Capitania dos Golfinhos Reino do Eterno Verão Reino dos Montes Verdes Reino dos Pinhais Os Povos do Cerrado Reino dos Cristais A Terra da Caatinga Reino dos Castelos Esquecidos O Grande Império O Povo A Tribos As Fadas Miras Curupiras I'Uaras Ipupiaras Sacis Caiporas Curupiras Mapinguaris Karuanas Mula Kurupi Matinta Caipora Cuca Morganed Anhanga Boto Curupira Saci Iara Encantados Boraros Sachamamas Lloronas Alicantos Ciguapas Encantados Iwarrika Muki Pomberos Caixa de Areia City of Angels - Texto original South America: Bellatierra South America has long been an afterthought in most books; the original Changeling books wrote the whole continent off as a Banal nightmare where nobody went to. C20 glossed over it with a single blurb hinting at a couple of kingdoms and much danger. The C20 Player's Guide has quite a write-up, but it's chronology, logic, and order are rather jumbled. Still, it has some interesting parts. This is this site's official take on Bellatierra, the Beautiful Land. A History of Bellatierra Gone are the days when South America was a void, free of civilization save for the Incan Empire. We now know that, prior to contact with Spain and Portugal, there were literally tens of millions living on the continent, and they left behind some truly massive signs of agriculture and landscaping that we're only just now coming to understand. Sadly, as in North America, most of these South American peoples were decimated long before they ever had a chance to see a conquistador or explorer: by disease. It is estimated well upwards of 90% of the population of the Americas was felled by disease, and entire civilizations were taken back by the jungle. Even the Incan Empire was; when the Europeans arrived, it was in the midst of a brutal civil war after disease took the Emperor. And so, as with North America, many of the fae in South America perished with these lost civilizations. When the Spanish and Portuguese arrived in force, there numbers were crippled. Still, they had strong magics and definitely outnumbered their enemies. The most blood-thirsty and greedy had largely come with the conquistadors, Redcaps and Thallain looking for blood, Satyrs and Nockers seeking riches. Weakened though they were, the fae of Bellatierra gathered their forces and fought back against the invaders in a long and bloody conflict that waged from the early 1500s on for decades, long after the Spanish had largely secured their conquest. Finally, in 1556, after a grueling eight week battle fought to a standstill in the Kingdom of Altiplano, the Thallain allies of the foreigner Kithain broke ranks, seeing they could not achieve a decisive victory, and fled. Many chimera followed them, leaving the invader Kithain outnumbered and weary. They threw themselves on the mercy of the native fae, and the Treaty of Sierra Madre was signed, overseen by the Síocháin of the Mountains, Cuyania. A great barrier was established, and ten guardians were set to insure its protection, with guardianship passed down through long lines. The guardians were positioned to keep watch on the borders, firmly discouraging those who might wish to cross it, and a vote was taken once every half-century to renew it. This barrier was not perfect, though. Kithain from Africa and Europe would soon be arriving regardless of if they wanted to or not, the former as prisoners sent to penal colonies like Devil's Island, the latter through the slave trade. The iron chains used to bind both allowed them to pass through the barrier. Some African Kithain came over willingly to look after their kin, and the presence of so much iron typically masked their arrival as well. The native fae were baffled at first by these arrivals, but soon came to understand how they were slipping through. Some held them at arm's length, keeping watch from a distance, while others, feeling sympathy for them, aided in their escape. In this way a number of African Kiths arrived and settled in the New World, including Aziza, Eloko, Eshu, Kinyonga, Izimu, Kozo, Mami Wata, Mino and Minona, Obambo, Yumboes, and even a rare few Kuino. The slave trade brought a massive influx of Africans and African Kithain; for comparison, between 1502 and 1866, of the 11.2 million Africans sent to the Americas through slavery, only 388,000 arrived in the United States, while the rest arrived in Latin America and the Caribbean, primarily South America. Brazil was responsible for importing 40 percent of the slaves from Africa while Spanish America imported about 20 percent. The slave trade, and slavery itself, ended through most of South American in the early to mid 1800s; Brazil saw regular waves where slaves were freed (this was common in Latin America, along with large numbers of escapees), but the slave trade did not end until 1866, the last country to do so. There were also those who arrived before the Wall was raised; the slave trade arrived in Colombia in 1533, and Brazil as early as 1501, long before the first Portuguese settlement was established in 1516. When the European Kithain fled, African Kithain were left behind to fend for themselves and largely taken in by the native Bellatierran fae. Because of this, also, the Eshu Houses of Elegua, Chapungu, and Hapi have had long presences in Bellatierra. House Hapi prefers to congregate around the many great rivers, such as the Amazon and Rio de Plata. House Elegua wanders, but is most often found in Colombia and Brazil, while many from House Chapungu are found in Brazil and either nations with heavy forests, where they have made particular alliance with the Balam. Interestingly, House Kothar also has a fair-sized representation due to a large Lebanese diaspora in South America, with some five million in Brazil and one million each in Colombia and Argentina. Smaller numbers of Europeans arrived, mostly from France, through Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana. Though some were actual criminals, many were political prisoners. Officially it is claimed none ever escaped Devil's Island, but the fae had ways of making themselves disappear into the Mists of time. Meanwhile, the native fae had another issue to deal with; while many retreated into the depths of the mountains or forests, not all could do so, and the growing numbers of European colonizers with their Banality and contempt for native ways ate away at their Dream even without Kithain to do so. Many natives were forced to adopt Catholicism, which had an interesting effect; many bonded it to their own native beliefs, keeping them alive to some extent in an altered form, and the Spanish in particular were not as insistent on spreading their language, which actually caused the spread of a number of native languages such as Quechua and Guarani in South America or the Aztec Nahuatl language in Mexico by giving them alphabets and written texts. Those fae who could not retreat were greatly endangered, but aid came from two directions. First, the Duendes of Central America arrived and petitioned the guardian at the isthmus of Panama to allow them access to teach the Vida Duende. At the same time, the African Kiths who the native fae had offered aid to repaid this by teaching them the Changeling Way. Both methods spread, with the Vida Duende taken up by more sedentary, northern, and western Kiths usually and the Changeling Way by Kiths to the south and easy and those prone to travel more. The end of the slave trade saw a steep decline in the number of outsider fae arriving in South America, and so it remained for some time, aside from occasional trade with the Duendes and other fae of Central America and the Caribbean. One notable import during this time is the Kith known as the Llorona, originating in Mexico but spreading through South America as their legend did. However, in the late 1800s and early 1900s new threats arrived from a very different direction: across the Pacific. An era of mass immigration from Asia brought with it strange new supernaturals, the Hsien, the Kuei-Jin, and the Hengeyokai. As well, there were the Ratkin and Vampires from Europe and North America to contend with, and the occasional Garou, though their Amazon War was a long ways off yet. None of these groups were hampered by the barrier. Most settled in the cities, but the presence of Jade in the new world drew the attention of the Asian supernaturals, who sought it out for its power much as the South American fae and shifters had. Though this never ignited in full war, it was the source of many skirmishes and battles. Then, in 1969, the Resurgence occured. The magic of the Resurgence did not seem to care about the barrier; the Treaty of Sierra Madre had been signed with the Commoner fae of Europe, not the Sidhe. They did not arrive in as large numbers here as elsewhere, but arrive they did, mostly in the cities. Some made the mistake of demanding obesiance, and soon found themselves forcefully evicted from South America with their memories of its wonders stolen away, if they were not slain outright. Others settled in in a realm where they soon understood they were very much in the minority, and learned to adapt. Those who did by and large melded with the local hierarchies, and some even rose to positions of power among them, as Sidhe tend to do. In 2006, when the most recent vote was taken, for the first time ever one of the ten guardians spoke against keepoing the barrier up. The newly crowned King Alvarez, an Alicanto Grump from southern Argentina, believed changelings were supposed to cross freely between all lands. Many balked, his flagrant breach of convention sitting poorly with the Seelie of Bellatierra. After weeks of debate and at least a few death threats, the conclave emerged with their verdict: a compromise. For one month a year, the wards would be lowered and fae could travel freely between lands. Once the wards were raised, it would be an entire year before they could be lowered again, and any changelings trapped on the wrong side would have to wait or else find a way around the ancient barrier. Even with this new turn of events, some kingdoms are still hesitant to allow strangers into their midst, but the Kingdom of Mountains leads by example in many things. In preparation for the first month of the lowered barrier, they extended invitations to many of the kingdoms in Concordia, offering their considerable hospitality. While many native changelings privately disagreed with their king’s decision, they presented a welcoming face to the outsiders, and some were quite delighted to receive word from the outside world. The travelers were met by an assortment of kiths they had never before seen or even heard mention of, from the ethereal llorona to the delicately beautiful alicanto. Sachamamas, in particular, were excited to meet and gossip with strangers from the worlds they had yet to visit. Unsurprisingly, they were also some of the first to make the journey outside the borders, but most found the larger world difficult to navigate given their natural size and dietary needs. Those that stayed forged a kinship in the eshu and redcaps, trading meals and stories with their distant cousins. Os Guardiões As noted above, there are ten guardians who each control a key to the barrier. Some are nobility within their lands while others act as more direct guardians, keeping watch. The current holders are: -King Alvarez, an Alicanto Griump and ruler of the Kingdom of Mountains, covering the southern Andes in Chile and Argentina. -Olivia Dias, a Boraro Grump who resides on a small island in the mouth of the Amazon River and represents the Kingdom of Amazonia. -Q’enti, an Alicanto Grump in the Kingdom of Altiplano who has served from his lair in the boughs of an ancient tree unagingly since the Treaty of Sierra Madre was first established. The Altiplano is a region in western Bolivia, southern Peru, and the very northeast border of Chile and northwest border of Argentina, a high plateau in the widest part of the Central Andes, between the Amazon rainforest to the east, extensions of the Andes to the south and north, and the Atacama desert to the southwest. -Empress Elleonora, a Minona Wilder residing in the Kingdom of the Trinity, in Trinidad and Tobago. She is the only guardian residing outside of Bellatierra directly, guarding the Caribbean approach. She holds the key that once belonged to the kingdom that was found in Venezuela, before it fell due to Banality and famine and its people fled to neighboring kingdoms. -Queen Jasy Ubiratã, a Pombero Wilder ruling the Kingdom of the Gran Chaco, a hot, dry lowland plain spanning eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, and far north-western Argentina. -Maribel Palma, a Duende Grump who stationed at the Isthmus of Panama for the Kingdom of the Northern Gate in Colombia. -King Kauan, a Grump said to be one of the last of his Kith, with hawk-like features and powerful wings, ruling over the Kingdom of the Perfect Miracle in the grasslands Northern Argentina, Uruguay, and the very southwestern tip of Brazil. -Queen Miroei, an Encantado Wilder ruling over the Kingdom of Mirror Pools in the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world covering much of the northwest corner of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso Do Sul as well as small portions of the state of Mato Grosso and the edges of eastern Bolivia and northeastern Paraguay, as well as portions of the tropical savannah in Brazil, northern Paraguay, and southeastern Bolovia, reaching as far east as the states of Goiás and São Paola. -Adagama, an Okubili Grump said to be one of the first enslaved Kithain rescued by native South American fae. He resides far south in the Kingdom of the Whistling Winds, covering much of Patagonia in southern Argentina. The ruler of the kingdom is King Quidel, an Alicanto Kinain and Kalku, or Mapuche sorcerer renowned for his power over wekufe ("spirits" or "wicked creatures") like the Nguruvilu (fox snake) and Chonchon ( a bird shaped like a human head, with feathers and talons and massive wing-ears). -Pachacuta, a Muki Wilder who lives in Ecuador high in the mountains of the Kingdom of Clouds, which lies beneath the Andes running through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, north of the Altiplano Plateau. More on the realm of Bellatierra can be found in the C20 Player's Guide, starting at page 90. Most of what is written as treated as canon, save for the changes made above. The Ten Kingdoms Ten Kingdoms make up the land of Bellatierra, or once did. One has fallen, and only nine remain. Each of the guardians above serves one of the nine remaining kingdoms, plus the last that now resides in the Kingdom of the Trinity, across the wall in Trinidad and Tobago. Of the Ten Kingdoms, three of them, the Kingdom of Mountains, Kingdom of Amazonia, and Kingdom of Altiplano are fleshed out in the C20 Player's Guide. Here are the other seven. Kingdom of Gran Chaco The Gran Chaco is a region of hot, dry, lowland plains spanning eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, and far north-western Argentina, and a portion of the Brazillian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Sparsely populated, the Quechua saw it as prime territory for game; “Chaco” comes from “chaqu”:, meaning “hunting land”, and the plains boast a rich variety of animal life. Caught between the Paraguay River to the east and the Andes to the west, it's an alluvial plain with a long dry season interspersed by torrential rains that often result in heavy flooding. The region plays host to a number of native peoples scattered across it. The Bellatierran fae mostly dwell among these scattered tribes, though some associate with the Mestizo cattle ranchers and farmers found in some areas. The region is home to over nine million people, mostly clustered in a few cities, with the bulk of the area undeveloped. Most interestingly, there are a number of large, prosperous municipalities in the Paraguayan portion settled by Mennonites who immigrated there from Canada in the 1920s and the USSR both in the 1930s and immediately after World War II. Queen Jasy Ubiratã, a Pombero Wilder, is both the ruler and guardian of her kingdom. She lives among the Wichí, or Mataco, people, one of the larger tribal groups in the region, who range about the headwaters of the Bermejo and Pilcomayo Rivers in Argentina and Bolivia. She bears deep grudges against the government of Bolivia, who have historically taken lands from natives and favored ranchers, farmers, and corporations. Her people are hearty, equally capable of surviving the long dry months on the plains before switching gears during the rainy months. Some are semi-aquatic, others capable of flight. Some take to boats or freehold strongholds inured against the floods. Many have been displaced from Bolivia, pushed into Paraguay and Argentina, but some, like the Queen herself, defiantly hold on. Kingdom of the Mirror Pools The Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland in the world, covering much of the northwest corner of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso Do Sul as well as portions of the state Mato Grosso and the edges of eastern Bolivia and northeastern Paraguay. The Kingdom of the Mirror Pools covers all of this land, as well as portions of tropical savanna in northern Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia, and Brazil reaching as far east as the states of Goiás and São Paola. Roughly 80% of the Pantanal floodplains are submerged during the rainy seasons, and the region has a diverse array of ecosystems and wildlife. The name "Pantanal" comes from the Portuguese word pântano, meaning wetland, bog, swamp, quagmire or marsh. By comparison, the Brazilian highlands are locally referred to as the planalto, plateau or, literally, high plain. The entire Pantanal is a huge, gently-sloped basin that receives runoff from the Planalto highlands and slowly releases the water through the Paraguay River and tributaries. It is basically an enormous internal river delta, in which several rivers flowing from the surrounding plateau merge, depositing their sediments and erosion residues, which have been filling, throughout the years, the large depression area of the Pantanal. They are even more sparsely populated than the Gran Chaco to the west and south, with scattered towns and cities, none with much over 100k people. Queen Miroei, an Encantado Wilder, is both ruler and guardian of the kingdom, like her fellow monarch Queen Jay to the west. She is said to be a cooling influence to Jasy, tempering the Pombero's fury with her level-headed approach, while Miroei sometimes gives Jasy the jolt she needs to take action. There is a rumor she controls the famed Gralha Azul. or Blue Crow, an immense legendary bird found throughout southern Brazil, particularly the state of Paraná. As flooding in the Pantanal is even more pervasive than in the Gran Chaco, most residents have some form of semi-aquatic abilities, and many are outright aquatic. Freeholds are uniquely equipped to ride out the worse of the floods, offering sanctuary to those who need it or are too young or old. Kingdom of the Perfect Miracle The Kingdom of the Perfect Miracle covers the grasslands of Northern Argentina, Uruguay, and the very southwestern tip of Brazil. It is so named because it covers the Pampas, a vast natural region of lowlands with a remarkably perfect climate, largely temperate and subtropical. The major cities of Argentina and all of Uruguay are are within this zone. Fertile, the Pampas provide a vast grain belt for the nations here as well as wild lands for the Bellatierran fae. Argentina large ranches and vineyards here. The mysterious Grump King Kauan lives here. Said to be one of the last of his kind, he boasts hawk-like features and powerful wings he uses to soar over his kingdom and guard it from above. He is also the long-time guardian of his land, and was very much against opening Bellatierra to outsiders. He has been more reclusive since, and though honoring the decision to help lower the Wall for one month out of the year, he is constantly on guard against foreign fae. The fae are numerous, mingling with Indigenous and Mestizo populations alike, and many from the African Kiths are found here as well. A rich bounty of both natural resources and Glamour keeps them well off, and it is this bounty their fierce King seeks to protect, so that his people may not know the hard times other kingdoms have struggled under. Out in the Pampas flight, speed, and stealth are common powers among the fae, while quite a few aquatic Kiths also dwell here, such as the African Mami Wata, who venture upriver and are well-known in the Kingdoms of Gran Chaco and Mirror Pools as well. Kingdom of the Whistling Winds King Quidel is the only Kinain ruler in Bellatierra. A relative of the Alicantos, he is also a powerful Kalku, or Mapuche sorcerer, who commands many dangerous chimera, spirits, and other strange beasts. His kingdom covers the wild stretches of Patagonia in southern Argentina and small portions of Chile. A mixture of deserts, pampas, and grasslands, it is sparsely populated, with a population of under two million for the whole region. King Quidel is well-respected not only in his own land but the neighboring Kingdom of Mountains to the west. Of the nearly two million indigenous Mapuche who live in southern Chile and Argentina, the great bulk, over 1.7M, live in Chile and make up over 80% of the Indigenous peoples there, and so many Mapuche fae see Quidel as their protector, even if they answer to King Alvarez. While some Mapuche mingled with Spanish during colonial times and their descendants make up the large group of mestizos in Chile, Mapuche society in Araucanía and Patagonia remained independent until the Chilean Occupation of Araucanía and the Argentine Conquest of the Desert in the late 19th century. Since then Mapuche have become subjects, and then nationals and citizens of the respective states. Today, many Mapuche and Mapuche communities are engaged in the so-called Mapuche conflict over land and indigenous rights in both Argentina and in Chile. King Quidel is one of those who King Alvarez managed to sway to his side in the debate to open Bellatierra again to outsiders. The Bellatierran fae have done well here, easily isolating themselves from others. Many keep close to the scattered Indigenous peoples or hide among the islands at the southern end. The native peoples are largely found away from the coasts, in lands close to the central or western regions, with a large number clustered in the north of Argentina. The Mapuche are by far the largest group in Patagonia. The fae are a tough lot, having to withstand wind, heat, cold, hail, and other extremes. Some are small and swift, others soar over great distances. Notable among them are the Patagones, also known as the Patagonian giants or Patagão. Patagonia itself is named for them: “The Land of the Bigfeet”, and early maps of the new world labeled the area as “regio gigantum”: region of giants. Ferdinand Magellan first reported the giants, said to be twice the height of a normal human, and for centuries thereafter they were a common feature of European folklore. Numerous tales abounded of meeting or seeing these very tall Patagonians, all the way up through the late 1700s. They are now thought to be exaggerations of the very tall Tehuelches people, native to the region, or perhaps the Selk'nam; there is a picture of one seven-foot-tall man named Ona in the Library of Congress. The Patagones are real, though. They gradually faded from the sight of Europeans, embracing either the Vida Duende or, more often, the Changeling Way. They were among the last to do so, as many lived well to the south where the Europeans rarely went, on the steppes of Patagonia or in the Tierra del Fuego region. They never had a name for themselves apart from the names of their tribes, not seeing themselves as separate, and so the Patagones title has stuck. Those wishing to play one of these giants can adapt the template from any other giant Kith, such as the Trolls, Glomes, or Nümüzo'ho, to them, as they were a varied group of giant peoples and not just one. They appear as very tall Indigenous peoples in their human mien, usually over six and a half feet tall, and in their fae seeming often range from twelve to fifteen feet tall, otherwise looking fairly human. Kingdom of Clouds The Altiplano, the thickest region of the Andes, divides them into north and south. The northern reach, curling through Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and ending in Venezuela, comprising the section known as the Tropical Andes. Tropical rain forests on the lower slopes lead into cloud forests, then high grasslands and finally snow. Dry forests and woodlands are scattered throughout, a gorge over 10,000 feet deep can be found in Peru, and Lady Titicaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world, at an altitude of 12,500 feet. The native peoples here have faced long persecution from the Spanish and their Mestizo descendants. Much of the land resides in what was the heart of the Spanish empire in South America, the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included the New Kingdom of Granada which covered modern-day Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. The northern reaches of the vast Incan Empire rested in this region, and large numbers of their descendants still live there. Modern-day governments continue to persecute native populations that are the largest in South America; over 60% of Bolivians and around 45% of Peru identify as Indigenous, and virtually all of the rest are Mestizo. Quecha speakers along number some 10 to 11 million, spread through Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. Peru has 14.6M natives, Bolivia 9.8M, Chile 2M, Colombia 1.4M, and Venezuela 524K. Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela have long histories of oppressing natives, suppressing their cultures, and exploiting Amazonian tribes in particular. Colombia was also the largest center for slavery for the Spanish Empire, and numerous escapees fled into the jungles in Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama to join the natives. As a result, Africa Kiths are heavily represented, and just as militant and isolationist as the wary Bellatierrans. The freeholds of the Kingdom of Clouds lie beneath the Andes, hidden away from the world in vast tunnels that run throughout the region and connect with the Kingdom of Altiplano to the south. Many exit into the cloud forests and upper slopes of the Andes, with fewer doorways the farther down one goes. Its mysterious ruler is said to be a descendant of the last Incan emperor, spirited away during the plague, civil war, and subsequent Spanish conquest that saw the fall of their homeland. Known only as the Hand Beneath the Mountains, none are certain of the name, Kith, or even gender of their unseen ruler, who speaks through representatives scattered across the kingdom. Some speculate there is no Hand, but a shadow council instead, but uncovering the truth would be a difficult task indeed. Many still do live above in the cities, though. The Kingdom of Clouds, despite its wariness of outsiders, has acknowledged the Kingdom of the Gray Pearl in Lima, and maintains diplomatic relations with King Sabidurío of House Liam, who has shown his resolve in protecting all fae who live there. More on his realm is found farther down, under the section on Kithian Strongholds. With water becoming increasingly an issue worldwide, many portions of the South America on the Pacific Coast are making use of a technique used for centuries in the region: fog harvesting. A variety of methods such as great tarps stretched out or saplings with funnels about their base are set up to capture and collect moisture from the fog banks that frequently blanket the area year round. There are several native Kiths in the Kingdoms of Clouds, Altiplano, and Mountains who have similar innate abilities to draw moisture from the fog, and various Arts can be used to do so as well. Perhaps none have mastered this technique like the fae of Bellatierra. Kingdom of the Northern Gate Much of Colombia aside from the southern region through which the Andes pass belongs to the Kingdom of the Northern Gate. Colombia itself was once a major center for the Spanish Empire; the first stable European settlement on the continent was the town of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in present-day Colombia, founded in 1510. Santa Maria was founded in 1525, and Cartagena in 1533, and the region become the New Kingdom of Granada in 1536, only coming under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru in 1542. Even then, it was a major realm in its own right. In the 16th century, Spain began bringing slaves from Africa. Spain was the only European power that could not establish factories in Africa to purchase slaves and so used the “asiento” system, warding merchants (mostly from Portugal, France, England, and the Dutch Empire) licenses to trade enslaved people in their overseas territories. Indigenous peoples could not be enslaved under their laws; they had been declared legal subjects of the Spanish crown. They were none-the-less still persecuted, and often turned against each other; Spanish alliance with various tribes against their traditional enemies was vital to their spread. Over the course of the next couple of centuries, many African slaves were either freed in occasional waves planned to prevent revolt or escaped, often joining the Indigenous peoples. Some of the earliest movements for independence began in this region, and Cartagena became independent in 1811. The Bellatierran backed such movements, seeing them as both weakening and distracting their enemies and potentially allowing them to slip in and gain greater control. In the same year, Cartagena morphed into a member of the United Provinces of New Granada, and remained independent for 5 years, during a period of great instability while Europe was in the throes of the Napoleonic Wars. After the wars, Spain sent forces and reclaimed their lands in South America and heavily punished those who had supported patriotic movements. The brutality of the juntas made this reversal short-lived; the successful rebellion of Venezuelan-born Simón Bolívar and a weakened Spain lead to waves of resistance. Bolívar's political and military leadership played a major role in the independence of at least five nations, the reason Bolivia is named for him. Though many trace their independence back up to ten years more, most secured it in the 1820s. Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia all give him credit for liberating them. The territory of the Viceroyalty of New Granada became the Republic of Colombia, with Simón Bolívar as its first President. Unstable, it swiftly merged with Ecuador and Venezuela to become Gran Colombia, with a goal of following in the footsteps of the United States to the north and becoming a vast coalition of states, but collapsed into the three nations listed above in 1830. Despite various upheavals, the territory was fairly stable until 1903, when the United States, in its desire to create the Panama Canal, pushed Panama to break away from Colombia and declare independence, though the three nations eventually settled the break. The Kingdom of the Northern Gate covers most of Colombia and some coastal and lowland portions of northern Ecuador and northwestern Venezuela. It keeps a watch on the northern approach from the Pacific, Caribbean, and isthmus; the last might seem the most likely point of arrival for outsiders, but in actuality it's a rough and circuitous trek, and maritime entry is more likely. Its egalitarian ruler, Queen Simone, claims ancestry from Bolívar. A Mestizo Llorona, she was the chosen heir of the previous ruler, King Huaman, a member of an obscure Quechua Kith. Many were surprised by his choice of heir, given his long, conservative history, but some whisper he had grown increasingly concerned over the fate of his people and chose somebody he felt might better integrate them into the larger world. That Queen Simone's Kith is not originally native to the region also has made some question her right to rule, but she is beloved by many for her efforts to include all within her kingdom and raise them up. Swiftly becoming a supporter of King Alvarez and the decision to lower the Wall, she finds herself often at odds with Maribel Palma, the Duende Grump who serves as her kingdom's guardian and feels that letting in outsiders is a grave mistake. Colombia is also home to the infamous School of the Seven Bells, South America's foremost academy for pickpockets. The school's fame has reached beyond South America, with an American band even naming itself after it, but despite that many doubt it even exists. What many don't realize is that for decades it has been a haven for tricksters from across Bellatierra, and is said to be run by council of sevenf fae, mages, and humans known themselves as the Seven Bells. Each possesses a unique bell that acts as their badge of office, and the only way to become one of the Seven Bells is to steal a bell from one of the current members. Kingdom of Freedom Born Once Venezuela was home to one of the Ten Kingdoms. It's born many names, but after the wave of independence movements in South America it became known as the Kingdom of Freedom Born. Sadly, that has all collapsed. A collapse in confidence in existing parties lead to Hugo Chávez being elected president in 1998 and launching his “Bolivarian Revolution”, which included encouraging other South American nations to begin movements against corruption and forming programs to help the poor. Initially there was some success here, but a U.S.-backed coup d'état attempt in 2002 by his rivals, an all-out national strike beginning later that year and lasting into 2003, and overly-corrective efforts to re-establish balance after massive losses swiftly lead to a spiraling economy. The corruption Chávez had campaigned against gradually became widespread through his regime, and together with failed attempts at social engineering, the nation continued down a bad road. Chávez finally died in 2013, and with poverty on the rise his hand-picked successor, Nicolás Maduro, was elected to replace him. Increasingly militaristic, with support from Cuba and other powers, the nation has teetered since with massive levels of criminal violence, corruption, hyperinflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods due to federal policies. Millions have fled to other nations and famine, demonstrations, and riots are widespread. Some believe the outside world's Shadow Court is behind this rise in unrest. Thallain have been noted in great numbers taking advantage of the chaos, and are pointed to as the best reason to end the new policy of lowering the Wall. Rumor says they seek the fall of Venezuela as the symbolic origin of the independence movement in South America. The fae have not entirely left Venezuela, but they've fled into its jungles, and many have sought refuge in neighboring kingdoms, the city states of the Duchy of Eiffell to the east, or even beyond Bellatierra entirely after its ruler, King Ferrara, disappeared along with many of his most trusted warriors after they undertook an effort to fight back against the invading Thallain. Before his fateful stand, the king handed off his key as guardian to Empress Elleonora in the Kingdom of the Trinity, in Trinidad & Tobago. Some question his placing a key beyond the wall, but none can deny that Elleonora is a powerful warrior whose very stable realm is surely a safer place for it than Venezuela is now. Kithain Strongholds European Kithain have only a tentative foothold in South America, weaker than anywhere save East Asia. Far more numerous are the African Kiths, brought over in large numbers during the terrible years of the slave trade. The first slaves from Africa arrived in Colombia in 1533, and in Brazil in 1516. Many African Kithain have joined with the native Kithain of Bellatierra and effectively become native over the course of the 200 to 500 years they had to acclimate. Aliança Atlânticai The Aliança Atlântica, or Atlantic Alliance, is a series of city states and their surrounding lands along the coast of Brazil from the city of Fortaleza on the northeast Brazilian coast down and around to the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Many of the largest cities in South America are members of this alliance; besides Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay, there are São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Recife, Porto Alegre, Guarulhos, Campinas, São Gonçalo, Maceió, Duque de Caxias, and Natal, all in Brazil. Most of them reside outside the major Bellatierran Kingdoms, though many native fae reside in them, as do numerous African Kithain. These also have the largest concentrations of European Kithain, either Sidhe returned since the Resurgence, the few who have been there since the days of penal colonies, and new visitors arriving during the monthly lowering of the wall. Many of the smaller cities act as client states to their larger neighbors, such as Montevideo for Buenos Aires. Foremost among them are: -The Principality of Joy (Rio de Janeiro), ruled by the Encantado Prince Jardim of House Fiona and his trio of Piskey lovers, Valdinete, Trinidade, and Tomaz. An inseparable quartet, the Prince and his consorts epitomize the wild, cosmopolitan voice of Rio. Rumor holds that he's been sworn to House Fiona since well before the wall started being lowered, and knows a way to slip in and out past it. -The Grand Duchy of São Paulo, ruled by Duchess Deborah Starshadow of House Gwydion. Many would say they are not surprised to see a Gwydion Sidhe ruling over both the most populous city and region in South America, and Duchess Starshadow would agree. A stalwart and dignified Grump, she comports herself with a stern, matronly manner many have compared to the most famous of venerable queens. Those who think her weak, though, soon are reminded that she is Gwydion, and she commands great power. She arrived not long after the Resurgence, and though initially rebuffed, she chose not to leave as many did and patiently worked her way into the confidences of the locals, until she rose to take power. She has a fair but firm hand, well aware that she is heavily outnumbered by the locals and were she to turn to tyranny she'd be deposed in a heartbeat. -The Silver Temple (Buenos Aires), ruled by Cardinal Berinus of House Dougal. Berinus returned during the Resurgence and found himself in the body of a nazi war criminal. Horrified by the memories he shared with the man who he had taken over, he found himself living in a heavily-guarded compound on a rancho in Argentina. Rather than let grief overwhelm him, he sought out other fae to help him make sense of the world. Once he convinced them he was not who he seemed, they helped him plot out bringing the other nazis who lived at the rancho to bloody justice. He died that night, only to be reborn again ten years later in 1979. Some say he must have undergone the Changeling Way, others that the Dreaming acknowledged his dedication to justice with rebirth. Reborn this time alongside the soul of a holy man, he has dedicated himself to protecting others, and come to rule over Buenos Aires and the lands around it with a firm but kind hand. All respect him, and all know the sacrifices he made. -The County of Celebração (Salvador), ruled by the Eshu Count Martyn of House Chapungu. The Bahian Carnival is the largest party on the planet. Its dimensions are gigantic. For an entire week, almost 4 million people celebrate throughout 16 miles of streets, avenues, and squares. The direct organization of the party involves the participation of over 100,000 people and Salvador receives an average of over 800,000 visitors. The party official begins when Rei Momo ("King Momo", the King of Carnival) is handed the key to the city in the morning of the Thursday before Mardi Gras. Fae seers read the portents to insure the right person receives the key, and incredible amounts of Glamour are reaped during this time. Bountiful and rich, Count Martyn's biggest task is insuring the protection of the carnival from all interference, a task he undertakes as sacred. His totem animal as a member of his house is the Spix's Macaw, and he is also a leading member of the Dança Candomblée. -Fortaleza da Luz (Fortress of Light), ruled by Dame Issebel of the Broken Axe. A troll warrior of some great skill, she served the previous count, a member of House Aesin. Fortaleza has had a bad history with counts, going through no fewer than fifteen since the Sidhe first took charge of it in 1972. Dame Issebel gained her title when she broke a massive halberd axe slaying the giant chimera beast that killed her liege. With his dying breath, the count named her his successor. She has refused to take on his title, though, and this may have protected her from whatever curse is rumored to lay upon the land, for she has ruled now since 2014, longer than any before her except the first count, who went 10 years before the freehold fell into its current state of misfortune. Kingdom of the Gray Pearl The capital and largest city in Peru, Lima is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is also the third largest city in the Americas, behind São Paulo and Mexico City. It is also home to the oldest officially established institution of higher learning in the New World. The National University of San Marcos, founded on 12 May 1551, during the Spanish colonial regime, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas; having continued through wars and unrest that caused other colleges to close temporarily. It is from his freehold tucked away on the grounds of the university that King Sabidurío of House Liam rules. Seemingly ageless, King Sabidurío has been here for longer than any Changeling can remember. Generations of native Duendes and Kithain recall seeing him there teaching theology, law, and philosophy, the university's three original academic realms. Some remember him from past lives going back hundreds of years. There is debate as to whether he has existed all that time in one host or been re-born from time to time, but nobody can recall a time when he was not teaching there. Likewise, none are certain why he was exempted from the Treaty of Sierra Madre. For most of this time he was a humble professor, teaching humanity and fae alike patiently. Though some Bellatierran fae resented his presence, many respected him, for he never hesitated to share his knowledge with them, both mundane and magical. Many Kithain of African origin also came to know him, and many of the very few European Kithain who wound up trapped in Bellatierra came to him for his wisdom eventually as well. During the Resurgence, a particularly large number of when Arcadian Sidhe arrived attempting to claim the lands in Peru, headed by Houses Eiluned and Fiona. Offended by their bluster and arrogance, the normally reserved professor stepped forward when urged by his students. Outmaneurvering the Arcardians deftly with their knowledge of the realm and Sabidurío's understanding of his long-lost brethren, the Arcadians were forced to surrender. Offered the choice of swearing allegiance to a ruler of the Bellatierrans' choice or leaving, most chose to remain, deciding to deal with a place they somewhat knew from their hosts' memories rather than a world beyond that was unfamiliar. The rulers of the Mountain Kingdoms placed Sabidurío in charge, elevating him to King of the Kingdom of the Gray Pearl, much to his surprise. Humbled, he has served quietly since, watching over immense city of Lima for them as it has grown. Though small in size compared to the vast territories of the native fae, the sizable population gives King Sabidurío considerable power that he wields fully at the behest of his hosts, backed by a coalition of Bellatierran and African fae, Sidhe of Houses Fiona and Eiluned, and a handful of European and North American Kithain. Duchy of Eiffell Located in the capital of Dutch-speaking Suriname, Paramaribo, the Duchy takes its name both from the city's nickname as the Paris of Suriname and from the shape of its central freehold in the umbra, resembling a towering, intertwined tree in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. Paramaribo is famed for its diverse ethnic makeup, including Creoles (African or mixed African-European descent) 27%, Indian (East Indian descent) 23%, Multiracial 18%, Maroons (descendants of escaped African slaves) 16%, Javanese (Indonesian descent) 10%, Indigenous (descendants of native population) 2%, Chinese (descendants of 19th-century contract workers) 1.5%, and smaller numbers of Europeans (primarily of Dutch and Portuguese descent), Lebanese and Jews. In the past decades a significant number of Brazilians, Guyanese and new Chinese immigrants have settled in Paramaribo. It also rests snugly between francophone French Guiana to the east, English-speaking Guyana to the west, and Portuguese-speaking Brazil to the south, giving it a robust cross section of both humanity and Kiths from South America, Africa, and Europe. It is ruled by the Creole Mami Wata Queen Marjolien of House Elegua, who draws her power from the Suriname River whose banks Paramaribo rests upon, and her consort the hunter Colette LaFrontinaire of House Beaumayn, of French-Guianan descent but born in Nice, France, who arrived on a visit to see her ancestral land in 2012 during the month the wall was down, fell in love, and remained to support his new liege. A small but potent city state, it also draws tithes and trade from the Eshu Baron Gregoire in Cayene (Guayana) and Count Gareth of House Leanhaun in Georgetown (Guyana), a Llorona who swore allegiance to House Leanhaun in 2009. Kingdom of the Trinity Trinidad and Tobago is a unique place; though technially part of the West Indies in the Caribbean, it is the farthest south, far more connected with nearby South America. Its ethnic makeup is also remarkable, in that its two largest ethncities are descended from South Asians and Africans; Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians make up the country's largest ethnic group (approximately 37.6%), primarily descendants from indentured workers brought from India to replace freed African slaves who refused to continue working on the sugar plantations. Through cultural preservation some residents of Indian descent continue to maintain traditions from their ancestral homelands. Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians make up the country's second largest ethnic group, with approximately 36.3% of the population, putting the two groups at roughly even numbers. This creates a unique mixture of peoples and attendant Kiths, with most hailing from West Africa and India, but a significant number from Europe. Though pretty much right off the coast of South America, Trinidad and Tobago have long stood outside the barrier, making this the closest many fae could get to South America apart from the Isthmus of Panama. The rulers of the Kingdom of the Trinity are a trio of powerful warlords who have allied together against all outsiders. First is the Hsien Shyena (known as Jurong in China), Maharaja Shanmugan Nayar. A devout Hindu of noble carriage, his avian form is the indigenous White Hawk. He is the eldest of the three monarchs, and controls the southern half of Trinidad from his court in Princes Town. A fiere and fair warrior, a number of Indian Hsien and African Kithain follow him, with a smattering of European Kithain. The northern half is ruled by Empress Elleonora, a Minona of mixed west African and European descent. A number of African and European Kiths flock to her banner from her home in the capital city of Port-of-Spain. Among them are a solid number of Mino warrior women, her elite thanes. She is also one of the ten guardians of the Bellatierra barrier, and the only one to reside outside of it. The key was passed to her by the former monarch in Venezuela when the lands fell to Banality due to the long unrest there. Lastly, there is the island of Tobago, which changed hands among Spanish, British, French, Dutch and Courlander colonisers more times than any other island in the Caribbean. Unlike the more ethnically-diverse and populous Trinidad, Tobago's popoulation is primarily of African descent with a smattering of others. It is ruled by pirate turned pirate hunter King Gideon of House Balor. He resides on a hidden island in Man o War Bay, near Charlottesville and Pirate's Bay. He allows a certain amount of piracy from his people, but takes tithes from all and reins them in if they get too blood-thirsty or greedy, as both are bad for business. He is one of many self-styled pirate kings in the Caribbean. His loyal but devious servant Duchess Genny, an Eloko of particular political accumen, watches over the south end of the island and often deals with Trinidad for him from her home in the island's provincial capital of Scarborough. King Gideon is well aware of her frequent machinations and political maneuvers, and the duchess likewise knows he knows; theirs is a lively dance of rivals they both enjoy like a fine game of chess. Though the nation's three (some say four) rulers have their differences and often engage in various maneuvers against one another, they present a solid front to outsiders who come seeking to cause trouble. New Kiths Besides the Kiths from the C20 Player's Guide, and the African Kiths listed above, there are a number of other Kiths available on this site from both the Kithain and site-unique Duende groups. Among those who originate in Mexico or Central America are the Calacas, the Centzon Totochtin, the Ciclopes (Cyclops) of the Miskito Coast, the Duende Kith, and the Quinametzin. Ants are ubiquitous the world over, and thus so are the curious fae known today as the Army Ant Platoons. They have gone by many names, usually drawn from local legends of ants, and though not as common as some Kiths can be found in most regions where both ants and Kithain are plentiful. They have often been drawn to great works of architecture and building -- it has been said they played a particularly large role in the digging of the Panama Canal. Bellatierra has long had its own population of them, cut off from the other colonies for hundreds of years. Also drawn to the military and warfare, there has been no dearth of either for them to join. This Kith can be found in the Kiths of Arcadia book. There are still dragons, in the Dreaming and Umbra both, but the Dragonkin are something other, something descended from them in a fashion. They can be found the world over, rare but impressive figures, though it is uncertain if all are descendants of the particular dragons which sided with the Tuatha. Dragonkin have lived among the Kithain of Bellatierra, the Nunnehi of North America, and the Hsien of East Asia. They often do not call themselves Dragonkin but rather go by terms drawn from local versions of dragons. Nunnehi Dragonkin are remarkably rare, given what happened to the Nunnehi as a whole, but this Kith has continued to thrive in South American and East Asia. In Bellatierra they are most often known as the Amaru, Amaro, or Katari, rising from Incan and other Andean civilization legends. The Quetzlcoatl of Mesoamerica have also been known to visit. This Kith can be found in the Kiths of Arcadia book. Site-created Kiths native to Bellatierra include the Muki and Pomberos. As well, along the central and southern coast of Chile, a mixture of native and Spanish myths combine in the Chilota mythology, that includes mermaids with beautiful blonde hair. Females have golden scales, and are known as the Sirena chilota or Pincoya, while males have the body of a golden sea lion instead of a fish, and are known as Pincoy. Functionally, they use the rules for the Morganed Kith. They are often associated with a ghost ship sighted off the coast of the Chiloé Archipelago, the Caleuche, and at odds with several dangers on the islands themselves; the goblin-like Trauco and Fiura, both Thallain, and the terrible Imbunche or Imbunche, deformed chimera who serve the mysterious Brujo Chilote, the warlocks of Chiloé, a band of sorcerers. Respectively males and females of the same Kith, Trauco and Fiura are feared for their power to confound and seduce mortals, and even fae, with their magical breath and to hurt with their gaze. Fortunately, they are rarely found outside of this part of the world. Brazil has a tradition of the Iara, also known as Uiara, Yara (Portuguese pronunciation: iˈjaɾɐ, iˈaɾɐ, 'jaɾɐ, wijaɾɐ, or ujˈjaɾɐ) or Mãe das Águas (ˈmɐ̃j dɐˈz aɣwɐs). They are figures from Brazilian mythology based on ancient Tupi and Guaraní mythology. The word derives from Old Tupi yîara = y + îara (water + lord/lady) = lady of the lake (water queen). She is seen as either a water nymph, siren, or mermaid depending upon the context of the story told about her. The Brazilian town of Nova Olinda claims the Cama da Mãe D’água as the home of Iara. In legend, Iara is a beautiful young woman, sometimes described as having green hair, light brown or copper-colored skin (as that of an Indigenous Amerindian from Brazil, or of a caboclo) and brown eyes, connected to a freshwater dolphin, manatee or fish body (the Tupi word y did not have a distinct meaning, being used in general for any riverine or freshwater lacustrine place) who would sit on a rock by the river combing her hair or dozing under the sun. When she felt a man around she would start to sing gently to lure him. Once under the spell of the Iara a man would leave anything to live with her underwater forever, which was not necessarily a bad thing, as she was pretty and would cater for all needs of her lover for the rest of his life. It is said that the Iara was once a much more aggressive, monstrous river merman known as Ipupiara. The Iara can be likened to many siren-type fae found in Latin America, particularly South America. In practice, they effectively use the same Birthrights and Frailty as Morganed, only they are primarily freshwater and besides fish can instead be half freshwater dolphin or manatee. Another site-specific Kith are the Iwarrika clever yet troublesome monkey tricksters of the Kalina (or Carib), Akawaio, Macushi, Patamona, Pemon, and other peoples of Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and far northern Brazil. Having spread far and wide in Bellatierra, they are not well-known yet outside of it with the exception of southern Mexico and northern Central America, where they have filtered into Meso-American fae culture taking on the name Ozomatli, after the Nahuatl word for the astrological symbol of the monkey on the Aztec calendar, also the name of the Aztec a god of dance, fire, the new harvest, and music. Outside of these regions they are frequently mistaken for Pooka. Siren-type, trickster, and forets guardian fae with unusual feet or legs are common throughout much of Americas. The Ciguapa, Curupira, and many other Kiths in this vein can be found throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America, and the Deer Woman of the Nunnehi is also often considered a member of his genre. Ciguapa are fairly well-known in certain parts of the U.S., particularly where there are large enclaves of Bahamians, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Jamaicans, Haitians, and Dominicans. Bouth they and the Curupira are widely known throughout South America, and the Curupira are slowly becoming known beyond, while many of their cousin Kiths are largely local. Feared among the fae of Bellatierra are the Kanaima (kuh-nye-mah). Born from the legends of the Kalina (or Carib), Akawaio, Macushi, Patamona, Pemon, and other peoples of Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, and far northern Brazil, they are said to be an evil spirit that possesses people and causes them to turn into deadly animals and/or go into a murderous rage. Assassins, or native people seeking revenge for a slain relative, sometimes invited the Kanaima spirit into themselves by taking certain drugs or conducting certain magic rituals, and dark shamans can call upon them. In truth, they are Dark-Kin, a Bellatierran variation of the Fuath Adhene. Powerful sorcerers among the Kithain and humans of Chile and Argentina are commonly called Kalkus, from Mapuche culture. They have power over over wekufe ("spirits" or "wicked creatures") like the Nguruvilu (fox snake) and Chonchon (a bird shaped like a human head, with feathers and talons and massive wing-ears), which can variably be spirits, chimera, and even stranger things. Their darker reflections area variant of the feared Thallain Skin-Walkers who do not just control such beings but become them. They sometimes will pretend to answer the summons of Kithain and human Kalkus while pursuing their own dark agendas. Categoria:Bellatierra